


Bloodletting

by Gaillen



Category: KAT-TUN (Band), Kanjani8 (Band), NEWS (Japan Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood, I admit this is probably a litte weird, Imported Work, M/M, Originally Posted on LiveJournal, Vague implied sex but not graphic, Vampires, Written in 2009, not sure if this needs the Mature rating but just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:00:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25168120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaillen/pseuds/Gaillen
Summary: Ryo’s studying business in college with his two best friends, when he meets probably the most attractive man he’s ever seen. When the one-night stand turns out to be a littlemorethan he expected, he gets pulled into something that he should probably have never messed with.-- This fanfic was originally written in 2009 and originally posted to my LiveJournal under the same name. I'm porting many of my old works to AO3, mainly because I want them in one place and I intend to finish some of the unfinished ones eventually and AO3 will be easier. ^_^
Relationships: Akanishi Jin/Taguchi Junnosuke - hinted, Ikuta Toma/Yamashita Tomohisa- hinted, Nishikido Ryo/Ueda Tatsuya, past Akanishi Jin/Kamenashi Kazuya
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

“… _In recent news, police discovered the body of a 28 year old male this morning in a hotel on the outskirts of Shinjuku. They had received a phone call from the owner of the hotel that had, reportedly, found the body when he gone to inquire the over stay of the individual. The victim had checked in last night and had not checked out at the proper time. Police have not yet released the victim’s name or the method in which he had been found. More at two_ …” The news lady spoke into her microphone before the picture switched back to the news room.

“Wow, another one?” The television flashed off at the amazed voice and Ryo lowered the remote before glancing over a his friend and roommate. 

“Scared, Jin?” He smirked. Jin dropped his spoon back into his bowl of cereal and glared half-heartedly at the other.

“Of course not!” He retorted. “It’s just freaky. I mean this is the eighteenth person to be killed this month and they’re all around our age.” 

“Hey, the police haven’t said yet that it was the same method as all those other people.” Both turned to look at their last friend and roommate, Yamapi, were he was sitting on the other side of the room pencil and heavy textbook in hand. 

“But it would have to be, Pi.” Jin replied with superiority. “It’s a serial killer! Eighteen, _eighteen_ dead. And just think of how they were killed too. They all went to hip clubs and got killed either in an alleyway or some hotel, the murderer sliced their throat and their hands were tied.” 

“Don’t worry, Jin. You won’t ever be targeted. You’re too fat.” Ryo rolled his eyes. Jin punched him in the arm and Yamapi chuckled, flipping the page of his text book. “Well, I’m going to shower first and get ready for classes. Jin, did you study for Business Management? We have that Exam today.” 

“Oh no!” Jin exclaimed stumbling to his feet. He was careful not to spill his cereal as he ran to his bedroom to gather his textbook and cram. “I completely forgot.” 

“Idiot.” Ryo snorted good-naturally. 

“You know…” Yamapi started. He paused when Ryo looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. “He usually gets very good grades when he crams like that. I’ve been studying since Tuesday and I bet he’ll still get a better grade than me.” 

Ryo chuckled. “He always does. Lucky bastard. I could use that ability in my Literature class.” 

“Yamamoto-sensei does give her students the hardest tests, that’s for sure.” The younger replied. They didn’t mention serial killers or the news anymore that morning. 

***Break***

“Ah, damn.” Jin muttered, chewing thoughtfully on his sandwich as he looked back over the notes for the previous class. “I know I missed that one.” 

“Which one?” Ryo asked looking up from his own sandwich. 

“The one about accounting. It was the only question that I didn’t know on the test. I didn’t study it.”

“If you consider last minute cramming as studying.” Ryo grumpily replied, shoving a carrot stick into his mouth. His own grade on the test was definitely going to be the worst of the three and not because he didn’t study, thank you very much. He simply was unable to get as good grades as Jin could get with last minute cramming but he didn’t devote a whole week to studying like Yamapi. He had a job that took up most of his time when he wasn’t in classes. 

“Urgh!” Yamapi slammed into the stool across from his two friends and slumped down. 

“What’s wrong?” Ryo asked, looking up at his friend. Yamapi just sighed and rested his chin on the table, staring down miserably. 

“Oh.” Jin smiled as if he was privy to some private joke. “I bet it was Toma-kun again.” 

Ryo’s eyes lit up in understanding before turning to Yamapi to confirm Jin’s brilliant, and possibly correct, statement. “Is it true, Pi?” 

“Turned me down flat.” Yamapi sighed. Ryo and Jin shared a sympathetic look and Jin turned back to the youngest with a smile. 

“Well, um…I’m sure you’ll be able to fall in love again with someone else. Toma-kun isn’t the one for you if he ‘turned you down flat’ as you say.” There was a hint of something behind Jin’s voice that neither of the two called him on. Yamapi lifted his head.

“I didn’t ask him to date me. I asked him to be my study partner for the next test but he has to tutor someone.” Ryo snorted.

“Then why are you so mopey?” 

“I wanted to start small. Start spending time with him and get to know him before I took that big a step. But he turned me down and I might never get to know him this way.” 

“Just try again later when he’s not so busy. Honestly, I don’t see what you see in him. He’s so…” Ryo started but was interrupted by Jin, which was thankful because Yamapi looked like he was about to hit Ryo for insulting the guy he was lusting after.

“Hey, I have an idea. We just took a major exam and it’s Friday. Why don’t we go out and party? It’s been almost two months since we last had a night out and had fun. We study too much recently...” 

“You mean me and Pi study.” Ryo complained. “You just cram at the last moment and still get better grades then us.” 

“That’s not the point.” Jin waved his hand dismissively at Ryo, who simply glared at him. By now both Yamapi and Ryo had gotten used to Jin’s quirks and it barely fazed them. They also learned that retaliating did no good whatsoever because most the time Jin simply didn’t get it. “The point is that we need some time off. Ryo, what time do you work tomorrow?” 

“I have the evening shift tomorrow. So I won’t go in until four.” 

“Perfect. What do you say you two? How about we go out tonight and have a little fun?” 

“I think a little time away from my books would be a good thing.” Yamapi agreed with a small smile. “But you two aren’t allowed to bring anyone back with you okay? I don’t want some random girl or guy in my apartment when I wake up tomorrow.” 

“Ah! Come on, Pi!” Jin complained.

“Agreed.” Ryo said at the same time. Ryo turned back to his sandwich and carrot sticks as Jin and Yamapi argued about Jin’s occasional one-night stands. Ryo briefly wished Kame was still around. Jin hadn’t exactly been the same since then, but he quickly banished that train of thought. It usually resulted in some heavy silence between the three and one of them started crying, typically Jin.

At some point during their break, Jin shoved Yamapi and he slammed into Ryo which started a fierce food-fight between the three. Of course, the threats were only half-hearted thanks to their laughter.

***Break***

“How do I look?” Jin asked, coming from his room and spinning around in his outfit to show his roommates. 

“Is it important?” Ryo asked. 

“Ryo.” Yamapi shook his head at the Osakan before turning back to Jin. “You look great, Jin.”

Jin beamed and ran back into his room to grab his wallet and keys as Yamapi turned to Ryo. “A little kindness never goes amiss, Nishikido.” 

“You sound like my mom. It’s just a club, I don’t see what the fuss is all about.” Ryo ‘tched’. 

“Alright! I’m ready! Let’s go!” Jin cheered as he came back out of his bedroom. 

“About time.” Ryo snapped, though there was no heat behind his words. Jin ignored him and locked their apartment, following the two to the elevator. They had silently agreed earlier that Yamapi would be the designated driver for tonight. Well he had lost in an intense game of rock-paper-scissors but they often switched drivers so they’d all get a chance to drink and let loose. 

Jin had driven them there though and he had pulled them both in what was possibly the loudest and biggest of night clubs. Hundreds of people around their age were there dancing and drinking, having fun to celebrate the end of a week of college work. Jin immediately ran to the bar, looking forward to drinking himself sick. Yamapi rolled his eyes and decided to test his luck on the dance floor, whispering to Ryo to come get him when they’re ready to leave. 

Ryo followed Jin to the bar and set next to him. Jin hardly noticed him, already engaged in a discussion with the woman next to him. “Jin, remember what Pi said about your one-night stands.” Ryo reminded him softly. 

“I know.” Jin replied. “He just said no one in our apartment. Doesn’t mean we can’t take them to a love-hotel.” 

“Whatever. Just call one of us if you aren’t going to make it home tonight.” Ryo rolled his eyes and collected his plastic drink cup before wandering back over to dance floor. Yamapi evidently had gotten lucky. He was dancing with a pretty guy that seemed way to young to be in a place like this but Ryo shrugged. It wasn’t like he was going to cause trouble being there. He looked around at everyone else, hoping that someone would dance with him, but halfway through his observation he stopped and stared.

There was a guy dancing off to the side of the dance floor that caught his attention. It wasn’t that he was doing anything weird. He just simply seemed to gather all of Ryo’s attention and pull him in, drowning him in some kind of desire. He seemed extraordinarily beautiful even though very few people seemed to take notice of him and there was just some kind of _power_ or something that rolled off him. The Osakan gulped and moved over to the man, hoping that he might be able to swing a dance if nothing else.

“Excuse me.” Ryo said. The guy swung around to face him and Ryo nearly choked as those _eyes_ landed on him. They were gorgeous. 

“Yes?” He asked. Ryo almost felt like his legs were going to give up on him and he moved his mouth for several moments with nothing coming out. The guy suddenly smiled at him, somewhat guardedly, and Ryo could have died right there. “Would you like to dance?” 

“Uh huh.” Ryo nodded dumbly, his voice no longer working properly as the sound came out a lot higher pitched then he had expected. The beautiful guy pulled him into a dance and Ryo fought to gain some control back over his body. He couldn’t but his body followed the other man’s dance easily, and those eyes never left Ryo’s. 

“So…” The guy began softly, “who do I have the honor of dancing with?” 

“Ni…Nishikido Ryo.” Ryo stammered. The guy had thrown his arms around his shoulders and was tracing his fingers along his nape. He smiled almost cat-like at the Osakan.

“Hmmm…I’m Ueda Tatsuya. You’re kind of cute. Are you from Osaka?” Ryo flushed when he had said that he was cute.

“Ye…yeah. I’m from Osaka.” 

“Well, you have a Kansai accent. What are you doing so far away in Tokyo for?” Ueda Tatsuya asked. Ryo had the faint feeling that he was being probed for information, his gut twisting and his mind going numb. However, he felt inclined to answer and he didn’t see much of a reason why he shouldn’t. It wasn’t like he had a secret that was imperative that he kept it a secret. 

“I’m studying at Tokyo University for my degree. I’m hoping to take over my family business, when my grandfather hands it over and I need a degree in business to do it.” Ryo answered honestly. The feeling of something at the back of his mind faded suddenly and sharply, and with it went Ryo’s inability to control his own body. His fingers twitched and Tatsuya smiled at him, brightly this time.

“A college student then. When are you suppose to graduate?” 

Ryo was looking at his hands in confusion but seemed to realize that he was still on the dance floor. “Hmm…I have one more year…well, a little less actually but about a year to go.” 

“I wish you good luck then.” Ryo wondered when it started to become the norm for people to tell each other about themselves when in a night club on the dance floor. Tatsuya, however, didn’t allow him to think too much about it and pulled him into another dance. The slight pressure in the back of Ryo’s mind appeared again but it faded just as soon as Ryo shrugged his thoughts away and allowed himself to just have a good time. 

***Break***

There was a strange intoxicating lust that Ryo inhaled from the skin of the other. It smelled heavy and slightly metallic but not unpleasant. He was dimly aware of the sensations coursing through him and the blinding way he moved but his body didn’t seem entirely aware of his mind’s part in all of this. It was following instinct with very little attention to anything else going on around him.   
He buried his nose against Tatsuya’s skin, at the spot where neck met shoulder, feeling the strands of copper hair tickling his face. One hand gripped the other’s arm just above the elbow, tight enough that it made the skin go white and not hard enough to leave any actual marks, while the other moved across Tatsuya’s hip and down the smooth skin of his thigh to the back of his knee.

Ryo kissed along the back of the other’s neck and his shoulder blades, tasting the saltiness of the sweat that allowed his lips to become slick and slide across the beautiful man’s back easily. Tatsuya gave a sharp gasp and grunt, followed by soft little cries. His arm flexed under Ryo’s hold, banging against the mattress once before gripping the sheets almost desperately. Ryo stilled, his body draining until he felt like his bones had dissolved into water and he was nothing more than a puddle.

When it was all over, Ryo could do nothing more than fall onto his back and concentrate to keep himself breathing. Soft lips ran along the tendons of his neck and up to behind his ear were dull teeth sank into his skin. The pain was followed up by gentle kisses and some kind of pressure, feeling much like the beginnings of a headache, touched his mind. It robbed all sensation from him and his eyes closed of their own will before he lost all consciousness, his body and mind too drained to fight against it. 

***Break***

Sunlight was creeping through the blinds and making blazing trails across the floor and the bed. Ryo moved as the one strip of sunlight across his shoulders made the spot hot and uncomfortable. His neck stung but it wasn’t the type of sting that you couldn’t ignore. Just a low burning sensation around the area of his left ear. He reached up to touch the area, feeling what felt like a love-bite and then he came to realize what position he was in. 

“Whoa.” Ryo sighed. He turned over and set up properly on the bed, recognizing the room as the inside of a cheap hotel. His clothes were folded neatly on the foot of the bed but the room was empty with exception of him and not a trace of the one he had taken to bed last night. 

Ryo lifted his hands to rub at his eyes and he flopped back onto the flat pillows, he felt lightheaded and the small amount of sunlight that was spilling through the blinds burned his eyes. He felt sensitized somehow like he felt, heard, and saw everything with a sharper and clearer mind, but he was so sensitive he could barely move. 

It took him nearly an hour to get the strength up to move and even then he felt as if all his energy was gone. He found his cell phone under the edge of his bed and checked the time. It was a little past twelve and Ryo placed a hand over his head. Maybe he should call out sick tonight from his job. He felt incredibly sick. The cell phone rang and Ryo cracked an eye open, wincing at the sound, to check the name on the screen. It was Yamapi.

“’Ello?” Ryo croaked, his voice dry. 

“ _Ryo! Were the hell have you been?_ ” Yamapi’s voice sounded frantic and worried. “ _You never called last night to tell us you weren’t coming home. We’ve been trying to call you since last night and you didn’t answer. Jin started freaking out and was about to call the police before you picked up._ ”

“I’m sorry, Pi. I should have called but I completely forgot.”

“ _Where are you?_ ”

“Some hotel, I guess. I can’t remember. I’ll be on my way soon…actually let me find out where I am and then I’ll call you to come pick me up.” Ryo sighed, fumbling for the pair of sunglasses that had made it’s way mysteriously in his jacket pocket. He felt slightly better once the glasses were on his face. 

“ _Are you alright?_ ” 

“Yeah, I just feel really drained that’s all. We might need to stop and get something to eat. I’m starving.” 

“ _Wow. That must have been some really hot sex if you ended up like this afterwards. I guess I shouldn’t ask if they were any good, huh?_ ” Yamapi teased. 

“Oh shut up.” Ryo scowled. “I’ll call you back in a little bit.” 

“ _Alright. Now I need to calm Jin down so he doesn’t hyperventilate_.” Yamapi replied ruefully.

“Good luck.” Ryo closed his phone after that and ended the call. “Damn.” 

Even if he didn’t want to admit it to Yamapi, or anyone else for that matter, last night had definitely been one of his better lays. What was that guy’s name again? Oh yeah, Ueda Tatsuya. Ryo smirked for a brief moment but even that seemed to require too much energy and he slouched against the bed. With the way he was feeling right now a small part of him hoped to never see the guy again, great sex or no, but an even smaller part hoped that he’d stumble upon the other soon. 

He stood and started to the door of the hotel room but stopped before he reached it. On the small table close to the door was a plate of fruits and vegetables that Ryo hadn’t noticed until now. The edge of some creamy white paper stuck out from under the plate and Ryo pulled it out, opening it to an ungainly sprawl of handwriting.

 _Eat this when you wake up._

The paper was completely blank except for that single sentence and Ryo flipped it around several times in the hope that something…anything was there. He frowned but decided to do as the letter suggested anyways and grabbed up the food. Eating made him feel better, not a hundred percent but definitely better. And he left the room moments later, with more energy and craving a giant steak. 

***Break***

“I hate Literature.” Jin complained as his two friends set on the booth across from him. 

“Would it have anything to do with the paper you’re writing?” Yamapi asked, amusedly. Jin scowled at him as he lathered his sandwich with mayonnaise. 

“Yamamoto-sensei is crazy! We can’t write a 5000 word essay in four days!” 

“Jin, you’ve known that you’ve had to do the paper since the beginning of the quarter. Most people get a start on something like that as soon as possible.” 

“Whoa, Pi.” Ryo interrupted. “This is Jin we’re talking about. He only gets good grades on tests when he crams. He can’t hold onto information he heard the night before once he goes to sleep. Him doing work that actually requires effort is impossible.” 

“I’m right here, Ryo.” Jin muttered, grumpily. Ryo raised an eyebrow as Jin covered his bread with the tuna and bit into it. 

“You seem to be doing a lot better, Ryo.” Yamapi stated, watching as Ryo took a bite of his own sandwich. 

“Studying is a lot easier recently.” Ryo replied around his mouthful of food. Yamapi made a disgusted face and Jin snickered. They fell silent for several moments enjoying each other’s company and the café’s good food. 

“Hey Ryo.” Jin said suddenly, looking at something over his friend’s shoulders. “Is it just me or does that guy look familiar?” 

Ryo and Yamapi both looked over their shoulders to see what Jin had pointed out. Ryo’s eyes widened immediately upon recognizing the waiter taking an order three tables down. It was that guy, Ueda…something or another. He was smiling cheerfully at the guests he was serving and didn’t seem to notice the three men staring at him. 

It’d been almost three months since that night that Ryo had slept with him and they hadn’t seen each other once, the whole time. Until now. The guy suddenly seemed to sense that someone was staring at him and he turned to look at them, his eyes widening a little in recognition. Ryo noticed that in natural light he seemed impossibly pale, but it wasn’t the shallow pallor of being unhealthy. He was just amazingly pale and still as beautiful as when Ryo had first met him.

“Wow, Ryo. He’s fairly good-looking.” Jin said, teasingly. “It’s a pity I can’t get a guy that pretty.” 

Ryo ignored him wondering why, for the second time, that no one else seemed to notice him like Ryo did. Jin said he was good-looking in that way that suggested he wasn’t too interested but was trying to be polite. No else spared the guy a glance. It was confusing, especially when he was someone that could obviously turn heads. Why did only Ryo notice his extraordinary beauty?

“He was the one you slept with that night?” Yamapi asked curiously. Ryo nodded mutely and Yamapi shrugged going back to his hamburger with the comment of ‘he isn’t my type’.

“Nishikido-kun. Hello.” The waiter stopped by their table for a brief moment and Ryo flushed. 

“Hi. Umm…you work here?” 

“Yeah.” He laughed. “You don’t remember me do you?” 

“Barely?” Ryo replied, even though it sounded more like an apologetic question than anything else. 

“That’s okay. These must be your friends. I’ll leave you alone now. Sorry to bother you.” Ueda what’s-his-name left and Ryo stared dumbly at the place where he had been. Yamapi and Jin were snickering at Ryo’s expression. 

“That was interesting.” Yamapi stated calmly. 

“Why don’t you go over there and make small talk, Ryo?” Jin grinned like a cat that had caught a canary and certainly wasn’t interested in eating it. “You had one awesome night together. You never know, get to know him and you might have even more.” 

Ryo choked. “Jin, I can’t do that. What kind of relationship would we have if it started with sex?” 

“A hot one.” Jin answered, being innocently honest. Yamapi snorted and started laughing, accidentally spraying his drink in Jin’s face. “AHH!! PI!!!” 

After a small fight ensued, Ryo found himself forced into a rather uncomfortable position but unable to actually say anything to the beautiful man while Jin cleaned up in the bathroom and Yamapi wiped up their mess. At least, Ueda whatever-his-name-is thought it was hilarious. Ryo frowned, supposing he should at least start there. 

“Hmm…sorry but I completely forgot your name.” Ryo chewed his lip nervously. He didn’t completely forget the guy’s name. He knew that Ueda was his last name but asking for his full name didn’t sound as weird as asking him for his first name. 

“Ueda Tatsuya.” The guy replied, eye’s twinkling with amusement. “I remembered your name, Nishikido Ryo.” 

Ryo flushed. “Ah, yeah…sorry about my friends.” 

“No harm done…except maybe to your one friend’s pride.” Ryo laughed at the sly answer.

“Yeah well, Jin doesn’t have much pride anyways and he’ll get over it. But I think Yamapi might have a bruise once we get home. Ummm…I was wondering…” Ryo paused and wrung his hands. “This is probably going to sound stupid but uh…can I…can I have your number?” 

“My number?” Tatsuya’s eyes twinkled in amusement and Ryo blushed even harder than before. “Sure, as long as I get yours in return.” 

“Deal.” Ryo smiled and pulled forth a napkin. He quickly wrote his number down and handed it to the waiter. Tatsuya gave him his own and Ryo grinned nearly bouncing back over to the table where Yamapi was waiting. He didn’t know why he asked for the guy’s number, or managed to gather up the courage to actually ask for it, he’d probably never use it anyways but he liked having it for some odd reason. 

“I hate you.” Jin spat at Yamapi as they left the restaurant. 

“No, you don’t. If you did you wouldn’t get any supper tonight.” 

“Pi! That’s not fair!” 

Ryo turned back as they walked down the street. It felt as if someone was watching him but he didn’t see anybody suspicious-looking behind him. Just a bunch of men and women going about their daily business and ignoring anything that wasn’t in their way or on their agenda’s. Maybe it was just the normal paranoia of living in a city. He shrugged it off and turned back to his friends, laughing as Jin grabbed Yamapi to give him a noogie. The feeling of being watched was still there lingering at the back of his mind.

***Break***

Ryo propped his feet up on the armrest of the sofa and dipped his spoon into the tub of ice-cream in his lap. This was nice. Yamapi had gone to visit his family for the weekend and Jin, over the last two months, had met and started dating this tall guy that he had introduced to them as Taguchi. He was an okay guy but Ryo, for the life of him, couldn’t figure out what made him interesting to Jin. But Jin was spending the night over at Taguchi’s house for the weekend and Ryo had the whole apartment to himself.

He loved his friends and it was nice that they got to live together while going to college but sometimes, Ryo needed to have his own space and be able to do his own thing. And that typically included a late night movie-fest and ice-cream binging. Ryo pulled his red throw up his waist a little higher and sighed contentedly. This was definitely nice. 

About a third of the way into his favorite movie, the door bell rang and Ryo furrowed his brow getting up irritably. Who was bothering him on a Friday night? It most certainly couldn’t have been his friends, they knew not to bother him during his important _alone_ time, besides they had key’s to the apartment. Ryo checked the peep-hole and frowned at the image of two men that he certainly didn’t know. He almost had half a mind not to open the door but decided against it and flipped the latch. There was still the chain lock that allowed him to open the door enough to look out and talk.

“Hello?” Ryo asked as the door opened that small crack. 

“Good evening.” Said the obvious elder of the two. “I’m Officer Kawaguchi Ryuta and this is my partner, Mori Akio. We actually have a few questions to ask you, if you don’t mind?” 

“You can ask.” Ryo replied. “But I don’t know what you’d question me about.” 

“Well it’s about one of your friends.” Kawaguchi said.

“Jin, Yamapi?” Ryo furrowed his brow further and then lightened up in fear. “Oh, are they okay!? Did something happen!?” 

“No, no…uh…” 

“Nishikido.” 

“Right, Nishikido-san.” Kawaguchi continued, his eyes tracing the chain for a moment. “Your friends Jin and Yamapi are just fine. This is actually about your other friend a…Ueda Tatsuya-san.” 

Suddenly Ryo felt as if something really bad was about to happen but he pushed it to the side for the moment. “Ueda Tatsuya isn’t a friend of mine. We met in a club and then at his workplace, but I haven’t seen him or talked to him in the past two months. Is he okay?” 

“Well, he’s the suspect in multiple homicide cases and we are having a hard time in locating him. Do you have any means in contacting him or do you know anything about this to further our investigation?” 

“I have his phone number but I haven’t used it yet so I don’t know if it’s his real one.” Ryo said, his gut twisted and his head screamed that something wasn’t right about this. 

“May we have this phone number? It may further our investigation.” Kawaguchi replied. His partner, Mori, was standing by the door with his hand shoved under the edge of his jacket but Ryo suddenly noticed that neither of the two men were carrying badges or visible weapons. He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully. 

“Hmm…sure. Just give me a moment.” Ryo was about to close the door when the officer’s hand stopped him. 

“We’d like to search your place as well, Nishikido-san.” 

“I’m sorry. But I can’t let you in. My roommates aren’t here and it would be best for them to be here before you go through their things.” Ryo shook his head. 

“Well you see Nishikido-san…” Kawaguchi started, his hand disappeared under his jacket and pulled out a weird looking contraption. It looked almost like a gun but wasn’t like the guns most police officers, or really anybody for that matter, would carry. “We have to insist because you’ve been in contact with that vampire and survived. We need you to get him out of hiding.” 

Ryo’s heart stopped for just a moment as fear pulled at his chest painfully. “Vampire…wha…?” 

“Ryo! Don’t do anything!” A voice suddenly screamed. The Mori guy suddenly hit the ground and as his back became exposed, Ryo saw the dagger that protruded from it. His eyes swung back up until they came into contact with a pair of beautiful brown eyes. Tatsuya was panting a little as he stood down the hall from them. 

“Tatsuya…?” Ryo asked confused. Kawaguchi seemed to remember him as he spoke and he swung the strange looking weapon back in his direction. Ryo shrieked in surprise and slammed the door on instinct, the moment he did he heard the most god awful screech from outside and then silence. When the silence drug on for more than a minute, he slowly reopened the door afraid of what he was going to see. 

Tatsuya was standing on the other side of the door, the strange weapon that Kawaguchi had wielded in his left hand and a dagger in another. He had blood around his lips and Kawaguchi was lying on the floor, bleeding from the slash along his neck. Ryo fainted. 

***Break***

Ryo woke up to the soft sound of someone singing and his eyes widened, the memory of what had happened coming back to him. He panicked. Vampires, cops with strange weapons, the two dead people. Ryo’s mind almost exploded but the singing had stopped and a distinctly familiar pressure at the back of his head flowed over him, calming his nerves and stilling his hysterics. 

“Shush. Calm down. You’re safe.” The soft but familiar voice added even more to his sense of ease. He looked around until his eyes landed on Tatsuya’s face. 

“I had the weirdest dream.” Ryo started hazily, he felt almost like he was drunk. “Something about cops and vampires…it was really weird. Oh, you were in it.” 

“I think I might a pressed a little too hard.” Tatsuya admitted dryly. The pressure on Ryo’s mind faded slightly and the Osakan’s eyes widened as everything became cleared. 

“You!” He scrambled away from the beautiful man. “You, you, you.” 

“Me, me, me.” Tatsuya said. 

“I must be dreaming.” Ryo gaped, he was in his bedroom but how the hell did Tatsuya get here and…what the hell?

“You’re not dreaming.” The man pushed his hand down from were Ryo held it up to fend him off. “It was all real and I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“But you…and those guys…” 

“I can see this is going to take a little more effort. Look, I’m going to release you. Don’t panic or hyperventilate or I’ll have to put you back under again okay.” Ryo looked confused and then felt the pressure disappear on the back of his mind. He didn’t panic, thankfully, but he seemed to have gone into shock. Tatsuya decided to wait so as not to hurt him or allow him to hurt himself.

“Vampire…?” Ryo squeaked as soon as his brain and mouth reconnected. 

“Yes.” 

“But…” 

“I know this is going to sound strange, but then again you’re strange. I’ve never ensnared someone that wasn’t a hunter before.” Tatsuya set on the edge of the bed but realized it wasn’t a good idea as Ryo immediately scrambled back from him. “You remember the night club? When we met?”

Ryo nodded dumbly and Tatsuya continued. “Okay that’s a start. You’re attracted to me. Whenever you see me, you are attracted to me. Well that’s because of my…umm, I guess you’d call them pheromones. Mostly though, they only work on other vampires or hunters. But it worked on you and you’re no hunter. You don’t have the mark.” 

“Mark?” Ryo interrupted. 

“On the back of your neck. Those two men out there were hunters and they were trying to kill me. You’re attracted to me but you’re not a hunter and I foolishly let you get close. I’ve never had actual…physical gratification with someone before you because I only ever attract people trying to kill me. Forgive me, but I took complete advantage of your lust that night.” Ryo blinked. “And because of that, those two must have realized that by coming after you, it would get my attention and bring me running. They weren’t wrong. It did.” 

“How did you know…?” 

“I can feel you. That little bit of pressure in your head is me. It’s how I kept track of you since that night and how I know you’re in danger, if you’re in danger. It also helps me keep control of you in cases of panic, like just a while ago. You don’t hurt yourself this way.” 

Ryo gaped. “I’m dreaming.” 

“You are not dreaming!” Tatsuya threw up his hands. “But you are in danger…because of me.”

Ryo stared, his brain going numb with overwork. “Because of you?” 

“Yes.” Tatsuya sighed and looked back up at him wryly. “I like you and I kind of hoped that maybe we could have a relationship, so I gave you my number and the means to contact me. I gave you attention and I didn’t kill you. They want to take advantage of that and you’ll be in danger for the rest of your life. I’m sorry.” 

There was a pause. “…Vampire?” 

Tatsuya chuckled. “Yes.” 

Ryo fell silent and hoped that there was no smoke coming out of his ears because he certainly felt like his brain was burnt up. “I thought vampires sucked blood through holes on the victim’s neck.” 

“Novel and television stuff.” Tatsuya snorted. “It isn’t that pretty or neat and our teeth simply aren’t that large or sharp.” He demonstrated by opening his mouth and showing his teeth. Ryo saw the point and set back to thinking. 

“What about sunlight and garlic and all that jazz?” 

“Myth. Vampire’s are like humans. We have the same weaknesses and can get killed the same way. Stakes work on us the same way it works on humans and I love garlic.” Tatsuya replied. 

“We eat the same foods, we sleep at night and in beds - thank you very much. I’ve never heard of a completely Christian vampire but I do know some that go to church and pray to God like humans. The only real difference is that we tend to like our steaks rare and we need the occasional fresh blood to balance out the antibodies in our systems. It’s like being a human, only better.” 

“Oh.” 

“And we don’t get sick like normal people but we can die of old age. We’re not immortals, despite what people think.” 

“My brain hurts.” Ryo replied after a moment’s silence. Tatsuya laughed. “What about those two guys? Won’t they draw attention if we leave them out there?” 

“Don’t worry about them.” Tatusya murmured darkly. “Let’s just say that Tokyo’s serial killer struck again. I moved them to hotel nearby.”

Ryo’s eyes widened. “How?” 

“Magic.” Tatsuya shrugged simply. 

“I’m never going to be normal again.” Ryo said, planted his face in his hands.

“Nope ‘fraid not. Especially since I’m not going anywhere. You’re too cute. And too much of a damn good find to give you up.” 

Ryo looked horrified. “What am I going to tell my friends?” 

“Hmm…you can’t resist my sex appeal?” 

Ryo mouth opened and closed but carried no sound. What the hell had he gotten himself into?


	2. Chapter 2

Ryo cracked one eye open and stared at the bay windows across from his bed for several moments, until he sighed and stirred from his position. Yesterday seemed like a dream. Or maybe a nightmare. He chuckled, that’s what it was, a nightmare. Maybe he shouldn’t have binged on ice-cream the other day or watched that movie. 

Wait, did he binge on ice-cream and watch a movie? Or was that part of the dream? Ryo groaned slightly and pushed himself to his feet. He couldn’t tell or remember but he was pretty sure that the rest had been a dream. It just wasn’t possible. Vampires? Hunters? He was fairly certain that he didn’t witness two guys being killed by a delusional weirdo that thought he was a vampire. 

Ryo harrumphed under his breath and walked over to his closet, pulling out some clothes, before walking into the bathroom. They said that dreams were the mind’s way of sorting out his thoughts. Maybe meeting with Tatsuya not too long ago and remembering the story on the news about the string of murders recently had caused it to be involved in his dreams…in a really weird twisted way. Ryo stripped down and turned the knobs of the tub on, allowing the water to warm up before he began filling the tub. 

It was as he was turning the water off that the door to the bathroom opened. Ryo jumped in surprise at the sound and swung around, losing his balance on the tile and crashing to the floor. The door swung completely open and Ryo gaped at the one that appeared in his door. No, no way. It just wasn’t possible. 

“Ryo! Are you alright?” Tatsuya asked, rushing to Ryo’s side and helping him to sit up. Ryo, despite his horrified surprise, was still aware enough to know that he was completely naked in front of the man. He squeaked and proceeded to try and cover himself up by cupping his hands between his legs.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ryo almost shrieked. Tatsuya raised an eyebrow before smirking suddenly. 

“What do you remember about last night?” 

“Eh?”

“Don’t forget that I can sense what’s in your head. You think everything last night was a dream.” 

“It wasn’t?” Ryo sounded incredibly unsure and slightly flustered. He was reacting to the man being near him, which Ryo supposed that that part of the dream had been the truth. He was still inexplicitly drawn to the man. Being this close just made it worst.

“No, it wasn’t.” Tatsuya chuckled. He was watching the Osakan in amusement, knowing without his probing of Ryo’s mind just what was going through it. He leaned a little closer which only caused Ryo to move back. He was pretty good at fighting off his desires, though.

“I don’t know if my head can take this anymore.” Ryo whimpered, almost lifting his hands to his head before remembering why they were covering himself and blushing heavily. That brought up a thought that Ryo could actually make sense of. “What are you doing in here? Don’t you know how to knock?” 

Tatsuya’s smirk vanished but was replaced a genuine smile instead. “I’m sorry. I didn’t actually hear the water running so I didn’t think you were…dis-clothed. I wanted to tell you goodbye and make sure you were alright before I left.” 

“You’re leaving?” Ryo’s eyes widened as he looked back up at the other half-kneeling in front of him.

“Yeah. I have to go to work but I’ll still be around. You know where to find me if you need anything.” He stood and offered a hand down to the Osakan. Ryo simply blushed and shook his head, hunching over slightly in a desperate attempt to block his nakedness. “You have my cell number, call me whenever.” 

“Okay.” Ryo didn’t look up as he responded and he stayed that way until he heard the door to the bathroom shut. It was another few minutes though before his mind allowed his body the ability to stand up. He chewed his lip and looked down at the steaming tub of bathwater, wondering if he could drown himself without the…vampire…knowing. 

***Break***

“If I didn’t know any better…” Yamapi started. “…I’d say you were moping.” 

Ryo looked up at his friend for a moment before slouching back into the booth and picking at his fries. It’d been about four weeks since he had learned about Tatsuya’s true disposition. The man had been an almost constant presence in Ryo’s life since. He showed up at random times, often staying for a night and then leaving again. In Yamapi and Jin’s minds, it was because he and Ryo were dating despite all attempts to clear that misunderstanding on Ryo’s part. 

He wasn’t a bad presence. Ryo always felt marginally safer when the vampire was around but also at the same time, he was disturbed at the feelings that arose when he was present. Tatsuya had made himself clear a few times on how he would like to be viewed by the Osakan but Ryo couldn’t, attraction to him or not. It pulled at his stomach constantly and gave him a headache most days, but he also on some strange level felt the disappointment rolling off Tatsuya with his continued stone-walling. 

“Yeah, Ryo.” Jin added. “You haven’t eaten properly in weeks and you haven’t gone out with us. I’m surprised your grades aren’t suffering.” 

“Is it Ueda-kun?” Yamapi asked. Ryo groaned and pushed his barely touched plate away, to bury his head on the tabletop between his arms. Yamapi and Jin shared a look, knowing that they had hit the nail on the head. 

“What’s wrong with you lately? I thought you liked Ueda-kun but you really don’t have much to do with him if you can help it.” Jin frowned. “I don’t get it.” 

Ryo sighed and refused to answer. He couldn’t really explain the problem in the first place, not even to his two best friends. Yamapi and Jin fell silent, both trying to think of anything that might bring Ryo out of his state. Ryo closed his eyes but he opened them quickly as a feeling of distress blanketed over him. Sitting up, Ryo glanced around trying to find what caused the sense of distress. It was like someone was calling his name but there was no one.

“Ryo, are you okay?” 

“Did you guys hear anything?” Ryo turned back to his two friends. Yamapi and Jin looked at each other and then back to Ryo.

“No. What did you hear?” Yamapi asked. Ryo furrowed his brow, looking around at all the other patrons in the shop. Most where laughing or talking to each other and a few were reading books or magazines. There was absolutely nothing strange about any of it. 

“It sounded like someone had called my name.” 

“It’s probably just your imagination.” Jin added, sipping on his soda. “Ryo, you’ve been really weird recently. You keep hearing things and sometimes you’ll fidget to no end but then suddenly stop. What’s going on with you?” 

“I don’t know.” Ryo admitted honestly. “It’s just sometimes, I swear someone’s talking to me or about me. And then sometimes I just feel this really…I don’t know…it’s just occasionally I feel upset for no reason but not really upset. More like a hint of it. I can’t explain it.”

“Sounds complicated.” Yamapi said sympathetically. “You know, maybe you should break up with Ueda-kun. Ever since he started coming around more often you’ve started to get weird like this.” 

“I’m not dating him.” Ryo replied. “He’s just a…friend that comes around a lot.” 

“Since when do you sleep with friends?” Jin asked. “You can’t deny you had sex with him and that you like him. I think he likes you too.” 

“We weren’t friends when I slept with him. We met at a bar. It’s called a one-night stand.” Ryo snapped. “I just wasn’t expecting him to be a vampire and my current personal bodyguard.” He added under his breath. 

“Yeah, right. Says the man that can’t stop staring at him or drooling over him.” Jin added. Yamapi set by looking between them both and recognizing the beginnings of a heated and possibly severe fight. He was debating rather he wanted to risk stepping between them or not, when Ryo replied.

“Look…” Ryo snarled but he stopped mid-thought. Something was wrong. In that same sense of the night when he learned about vampires and hunters, he felt the tingling in his abdomen as his stomach twisted almost painfully. Fear gripped his chest and Ryo brought both hands up to his heart, hunching inward. 

“Ryo?” Yamapi asked but he sounded far off and faint, like he was whispering. Ryo bit his lip, wondering if it was possible for one of the hunters to be near him since he felt like this but if that was the case, where was Tatsuya? Ryo couldn’t even feel him in the back of his mind like usual. 

Ryo did the only thing he could think of at that moment and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Tatsuya’s number was set on speed dial and only took a few clicks before the phone was ringing in his ear. Unfortunately the call went unanswered and Ryo gulped, pulling his phone away from his ear and staring at it until the name blinked twice and faded. 

“Something’s wrong.” Ryo said. Yamapi and Jin gaped at him in confusion. Ryo stood up and placed money down on the table for his portion of the meal, even though he hadn’t touched anything more than a few fries. “I’ve got to go. I’ll be back before midnight. Don’t wait up.” 

“Ryo! Where are you going?” Yamapi climbed out of the booth as Ryo starting walking to the door. Jin turned in the padded seat and kneeled on the cushion, looking at him as well.

“To find Tatsuya.” Ryo replied, waving his hand over his shoulder and leaving the café. Yamapi and Jin shared a look.

“Yeah, he’s got it bad.” Jin said. Yamapi didn’t reply and turned back to the door. 

***Break***

It was around ten that night when Ryo finally made it back to the apartment. He let himself in quietly and locked the door behind him before moving into the kitchen. Yamapi was sitting at the table, his books open on the wood in front of him. 

“Hey.” Yamapi said as he looked up. 

“Hi.” Ryo sighed, flopping into the chair across from him.

“So did you find your beau?” 

“Huh?” 

“Never mind. I was asking if you found Ueda-kun.” Yamapi asked. Ryo sighed again and shook his head. 

“He wasn’t at his workplace and no one had seen him. I checked by the hotel he’s staying at but even then I didn’t find him.” 

“Did you try calling him?”

“Thrice. Each time the phone just rang out and he didn’t have his voice mail on.” Yamapi studied him for a few moments before speaking again.

“It’s really bothering you isn’t it?”

“I just feel like something’s wrong and I can’t get in contact with him. I’ve never had trouble getting in contact with him before and it worries me.” Ryo replied, thumping the leg of his chair with his heel. 

“Ryo, this may sound like I’m prying but…” Yamapi started. “What is really going on between you two? You deny dating, which honestly I believe you, but you wouldn’t be this freaked out by the fact that you can’t get in contact with anyone else. What is it about Ueda-kun that has you this way?” 

“I…can’t explain it, Pi. It’s just…” Ryo frowned, struggling for the words to explain without giving away Tatsuya’s identity. 

“Alright. I’d like to help you though but you have to tell me what’s going on.”

“Yeah I know. Thanks a lot Pi.” 

“Go get some sleep, you look like you need it. Jin’s at Taguchi’s tonight by the way, he said he’ll be back around noon tomorrow.” 

“Again? If anyone’s head over heels, it’s J…” Ryo was interrupted by the doorbell ringing and he turned to look towards the apartment’s door. Yamapi blinked. 

“Who could that be? At this hour?” Ryo shrugged in answer and went into the hall to answer the door. Yamapi followed him but hung back in the kitchen’s doorway. Ryo glanced into the peephole and gasped, recognizing Tatsuya on the other side but he looked hurt. Ryo rapidly opened the door.

“Tatsuya!” Yamapi’s head jerked up when the vampire fell limply into Ryo’s arms, forcing the Osakan to the ground. He immediately came to his friend’s aide and helped the limp, badly bleeding form off him. 

“What happened to him?” Yamapi gaped. Ryo stumbled to his feet and rapidly shut and locked the door before grabbing one of Tatsuya’s arms. 

“I have no idea. Help me get him to my room.” Yamapi and Ryo carried the bleeding, badly beaten man into Ryo’s room before dropping him on the bed. 

“Undress him so we can tend to those wounds. I’ll get the first aid kit okay?” Yamapi said, standing up and running out of the room. Ryo blushed heavily as he peeled the tattered clothes from the unconscious vampire, his body reacting to the closeness. Yamapi came back minutes later with the first aid kit, a small bowl of water, and a few towels. 

“Here start cleaning them and I’ll follow you up bandaging them.” Yamapi said, tossing a towel at Ryo. The Osakan set to work cleaning the injuries while Yamapi quickly and efficiently bandaged them. His medical training was finally paying off. 

He had majored in medicine to begin with but had quickly decided that cutting dead bodies up to study them was not his ideal career choice and changed to a business degree. Lucky for them, he had been taught all the basics of medical care and they were certainly being put to use now. As soon as they finished bandaging Tatsuya up, Ryo fished about in his drawers until he found some clothes for the man. Yamapi helped him dress the other in simple boxers and a t-shirt, before he pulled the blanket over Tatsuya and sighed. 

“Do you think he might have been mugged? Or maybe he got into a gang fight?” Yamapi asked, closing the first aid kit. 

“I don’t know, but somehow I doubt it.” Ryo replied. “This guy’s…tough.” 

“Well he ended up beat like this and bloody. I’m surprised he made it to our door.” Yamapi pointed out. 

“Yeah, but…” Ryo chewed his lip, unsure of how to explain without giving away the beautiful man’s identity. 

“We’ll call the police once he wakes up and maybe he can give some information on who attacked him. They’ll be able to find out but we can’t do much more than this, Ryo. We might as well get some rest. It’s ten thirty.” Ryo chewed his lip, seemingly trying to decide what he should do. He was reluctant to leave the pale vampire’s side but he also realized that he really couldn’t do much anyways. 

“But…he’s in my bed?” 

“Sleep in Jin’s room, he won’t care. Come on, Ryo. He’ll be here tomorrow morning and we can see if he’s any better.” Yamapi said. Ryo nodded and reached over to turn the lamp, that set on his bedside table, on. 

“Just in case he’s wakes up and freaks out.” Ryo answered the questioning stare from Yamapi. The younger man nodded and carried the used medicine items out with him. Ryo chewed his lip and sighed before turning to the door and leaving. He flipped the overhead light as he did so and closed the door to a gap behind him. 

“I’m going to bed. Don’t worry, Ryo. I’m sure he’ll be alright. If he’s not…well, we can always take him to the hospital.” Yamapi patted Ryo on the shoulder before heading into his bedroom. Ryo walked into Jin’s room but left the door ajar incase Tatsuya woke up and needed his help. 

He didn’t sleep very well. 

***Break***

Yamapi slapped his alarm as if went off, buzzing angrily in his ear. He groaned softly as he pulled himself out of his warm, comfortable bed. It was a weekend and there was no school, normally he’d sleep in but he had work at his new job today and he couldn’t afford to skip out. He quickly dressed and left his room, hopefully Ryo was already awake and making breakfast. Yamapi was not looking forward to cereal this morning. 

The door to Jin’s room and Ryo’s room was wide open, light shining from the latter’s. Yamapi walked over to the door and peered in curiously. Seeing the figure lying under the covers of Ryo’s bed and Ryo himself on his knees at the bedside, Yamapi suddenly remembered the events of last night. He walked in noticing that Ryo was fast asleep, his arms folded on the bed’s edge and that Tatsuya was extremely pale. 

He’d always been pale but this was more of a sickly pale and he was covered in sweat, his breathing shallow and halting. Yamapi moved over rapidly and felt the beautiful man’s forehead. He was running a high temperature. 

“Ryo!” Yamapi reached over the bed and shook Ryo’s shoulder, jarring the man awake.

“Uh…huh? Wha?” Ryo slurred. 

“Wake up.” 

“Wha is’t?” Ryo asked, rubbing at his eyes and yawning. Yamapi sighed.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve been sleeping here all night.”

“No. Only part of it.” 

Yamapi groaned but then turned back to his current problem. “Ryo, I don’t think Ueda-kun looks that good.” 

“Eh?” Ryo tilted his head before turning to the unconscious vampire. He immediately saw what Yamapi meant and raised his hand, feeling at Tatsuya’s forehead. “He’s burning up.” 

“Yeah and his breathing’s really shallow. We should take him to the hospital.” Yamapi said. “I’ll call my boss and tell her I can’t come in today.” 

“No!” Ryo jerked his head up at his friend. “Yamapi, you need that job and you’ve only been there a week. They’ll fire you if you skip out. I’ll…I’ll get him to the hospital.” 

“Ryo, you can’t possibly manage it alone. You’re strong but not that strong.” 

“I’ll wait for Jin. He’s coming back at noon, right?” Yamapi nodded hesitantly. “I’m sure I can wait until then to take him. You can’t afford to take off of work.”

“But…are you sure?” 

“Yeah. We don’t really have much of a choice, do we?” Neither looked one hundred percent sure about this but Yamapi sighed after a moment. Ryo had a point. Yamapi needed to work, it had taken several months to get this job and would probably take him forever to get another one. But, looking at Tatsuya, Yamapi wasn’t sure how long he would last without proper treatment. What if the man had internal bleeding or something worse?

“Ryo, I don’t really think…”

“Trust me, Yamapi. I’ll call an ambulance if he gets any worse before Jin gets here and if Jin comes home before then, we’ll take him to the hospital.” 

“…Alright. But call me if anything happens. I’ll rush home or wherever.” Ryo nodded and brightened momentarily, fishing about in his bedside table’s drawer. He handed Yamapi some money. 

“Sorry for not cooking breakfast. Go get something for breakfast with this and bring something home for dinner too.” Yamapi nodded, shoving the money into his back pocket.

“Remember, Ryo, call me.” He warned. Ryo waved him away and Yamapi left the room, no more than two minutes later the main door shut. Ryo turned to Tatsuya and stood, stretching. Sleeping like he had been was not the smartest or most comfortable. He left the bedroom and walked into the kitchen before stopping and staring about. He wasn’t sure what he had come in here for, it certainly wasn’t to eat. Ryo didn’t feel the slightest bit hungry.

Ryo opened a cabinet and pulled down a wide bowl before filling it with cool water. He grabbed the back of a chair from the dining table and very carefully dragged it back into his room. He set the bowl on his table and the chair in front of it before opening the linen closet and removing a small hand towel. He dipped the towel into the water before folding in and placing it on the sleeping vampire’s forehead. 

He set back and crossed his arms thoughtfully. Tatsuya had said once that anything that can kill a human can kill him and vice versa. He was pretty injured when he had made it to their door, but he had also said that he couldn’t get sick like a human did. So he couldn’t have been sick, right? He shouldn’t have a fever, according to the man on the bed it wasn’t possible, but here he was burning up with fever and his breathing was so weak. 

Ryo chewed his lip. Hopefully Jin would be home before too much longer and they could take him to the hospital. He couldn’t do much of anything for the vampire but as much as he wanted to take him to the hospital, he was a little more worried about what would happen if he did. Tatsuya had explained to him that his vampirism happened on more of a genetic level. You were born this way, not made, and everyone had the gene but in some people, like Ryo, it was a dormant gene. It wasn’t active like it was in Tatsuya, but Ryo had it. Which meant that if Ryo had a kid it was possible - insanely difficult but possible - for Ryo’s child to be a vampire. It was also highly possible that Tatsuya’s children would be normal and wouldn’t have it. 

The whole thing had confused him pretty much after that but he had at least gotten that small part. Ryo sighed, curling his feet up underneath him. So what if the hospital discovered Tatsuya’s vampirism? How on Earth would anybody explain that? But Ryo was more interested in healing the man and making him smile again to really care about that. Despite everything, Tatsuya still had the prettiest smile Ryo had ever seen and he wanted that back at least. The rest of the beautiful vampire would be nice too. He wanted Tatsuya to wake up and look at him.

Ryo’s head began nodding as he slowly “thought” himself into sleep. He rocked a little bit on his chair and placed his elbow on the armrest, resting his hand in his palm to prop himself up. He wished the other was awake to maybe tell him if he was okay or if Ryo could do something more than just sit there and fidget. Ryo blinked and his eyes slipped shut. 

_I’ll stay like this for just a moment. My eyes are tired._ Ryo was asleep a moment later.

***Break***

It felt almost like he had shoved his head into water but he could still breath and he was looking down at the streets near the bay. He could even hear the sound of the ocean faintly. The sun was warm and he shivered from the heat of the light as it mixed with the coolness of the water-like feeling. 

A car drove through one of the streets beneath him and he turned to watch it as it came to a stop next to a warehouse. He watched two men step out from the vehicle, both going around to the trunk as it popped open. They reached in and drug out a struggling form, their hands were bound and a gag wrapped around their mouth. The bigger of the two men moved to grabbed the person’s legs revealing the prisoner’s face. It was Tatsuya.

Ryo almost shouted, trying to urge his dream-body forward to help the struggling vampire but he was frozen and forced to simply watch. The two carried him into the warehouse and Ryo blinked, his awake-self fighting to break free from his dream-self’s hold. But when Ryo blinked, he was suddenly in the warehouse. Tatsuya was thrown into the center of a cleared out space amongst the crates. 

Whatever was being said, Ryo couldn’t hear, but he watched as the two men pinned the vampire against the floor. A woman approached them. She was wearing a lab coat and carried a case that she set on a crate and opened. Ryo was once again struggling to break free and help when the woman pulled out a syringe and a vial of blue-green liquid. Ryo wasn’t sure what it was but he knew it was bad, especially when the woman injected it into Tatsuya’s arm.

Something snapped in Ryo and he felt pain shoot through his waist before everything seemed to fade and then disappear. He closed his eyes, still struggling to get to the vampire’s side. 

Ryo shouted as he woke up. He was once again in his bedroom, Tatsuya still unconscious on the bed and he was on the floor. The pain in his side must have been the edge of the chair when he rolled out. Ryo scrambled to his feet, reeling back as the blood rushed to his head at the sudden motion, and he knelt on the bed beside Tatsuya. He was still burning with fever and his breathing was still shallow but it was still there. Ryo reached over to grab the man’s arm and he ripped the bandage away from his skin to check the spot were he had been injected in the dream. 

When they were patching him up yesterday, it was just a bruise that had some blood on it. They hadn’t thought anything of it. Today through the spot had turned a sickly green and looked like it was starting to spread. Ryo stared at it. Is it possible that he had dreamed the events of yesterday before Tatsuya had made it to him? What was that liquid the woman shot him with? Ryo licked his lips. 

It would have to have been something that effected the vampire severely. A drug or medicine. If that was the case, there had to be something to counteract it. Another medicine or something. Ryo set back on his heels. 

“Oh, Tatsuya. I don’t know what to do.” He said. He didn’t have any of the medical training that Yamapi had and he didn’t know what drug he had been given. Maybe Tatsuya’s vampirism would help. Oh, but if they injected it in him, it was very likely that they had attacked him because he was a vampire. Weren’t vampires healthier than normal people or something?

Ryo frowned as he thought back to what Tatsuya had told him when he first learned of the man’s secret. Vampires were like humans, only better. They just needed a little blood every once in a while to balance out their systems and antibodies. Sort of like a high-class energy drink or a medicine. 

“Medicine?” Ryo said out loud. He hit on a brilliant idea suddenly and reached into his bedside table’s drawer for his pocket knife. He eyed the knife for a moment and then looked at Tatsuya, running his hand down across the vampire’s face lovingly. Ryo pulled back and sighed bringing the small knife to his hand before slicing his palm open. It was painful and Ryo hissed as the blood started to well up. 

He brought the hand to his mouth and sucked as much of the blood up as possible into his mouth before leaning down and placing his lips over the vampire’s. It took a little effort but Ryo managed to force Tatsuya’s mouth open and for the vampire to shallow the blood. The Osakan repeated this method twice more before the pain in his hand forced him to stop and bandage himself up. 

He moved into the bathroom and spat out the remains of the blood in his mouth, rinsing with water before he bandaged his hand up and returned to the room. Tatsuya was still unconscious but immediately Ryo noticed a change in him. Color was coming back to his cheeks and his breathing wasn’t so ragged anymore. Ryo wiped the little bit of blood from the side of his mouth and replaced the towel on his forehead. Time would only tell if the treatment would work or not. 

“Hey! Anybody home?” Ryo turned to the bedroom door as the shout echoed through the apartment. 

“I’m here, Jin!” He called out, standing and walking into the living room. Jin smiled at him and flopped on the sofa wearily. 

“I’m tired. I woke up too early this morning.” 

“Rough night?” Ryo smirked, his relief making him lightheaded. 

“Oh shut up.” Jin sneered at him. “Where’s Pi? And what happened to your hand?”

“Work and I cut myself earlier. No big deal. It’ll heal.” 

“Oh yeah, I forgot he was working. I think I’m going to take a shower and then nap. Jun says hi to you guys by the way.”

“How is he?” 

“Fine. He had work today otherwise I would have stayed over another night.” Jin replied, he yawned as he stood. Ryo watched him stretch and was about to say something when a soft, weak voice called his name.

“Ryo…?” The Osakan turned towards his bedroom door and Jin followed curiously. 

“You have someone over, Ryo?”

“Tatsuya.” Ryo moved to the bed and set on the edge. Tatsuya was awake, a little out of it but awake. He had pulled the towel on his head off and was attempting to sit up. 

“Wow, Ueda-kun. Are you alright?” Jin asked, his mouth opening in surprise. “What happened?” 

“I thi…think so.” Tatsuya whispered. Ryo dabbed at his face with the now wet towel gently. 

“Take it easy.” He said, pushing the vampire’s shoulders against the pillows. “You’re still injured and you need to rest some more.” He turned to Jin. “He showed up at our door last night, all beat and hurt. Pi and I brought him in and bandaged him up. He’s been asleep until now.” 

Jin fell silent as Ryo turned back to Tatsuya and leaned over him. He couldn’t exactly hug the man like he was wanting so he settled for pressing his upper body against him and nuzzling into his ear, gently. 

“I’m so glad you’re alright. You really scared me for a while there.” Ryo whispered only loud enough for Tatsuya to hear him. 

“I was scared too.” He responded. “Thank you for helping me.” 

Ryo kissed his earlobe gently. “I lo…” He froze before he finished his sentence, knowing quite well what he was going to say in the face of his relief. His eyes widened slightly and he stared at the pillow, covered in fine copper strands in front of him. 

He loved him. He loved Tatsuya.

The man had tortured him for weeks. Ryo had fought against his advances for weeks. And here he was about to admit that he loved the man out loud. There was some kind of irony in all this but Ryo didn’t have the desire to think about it. He loved the vampire and it took almost losing him to actually figure it out. He didn’t have anything else to lose.

“I love you.” Ryo murmured, completing his sentence. The familiar pressure against the back of his head appeared. He pulled back slowly and stared down at the vampire.

“You mean it.” Tatsuya murmured, his eyes widening as his soft probing in Ryo’s mind answered all his doubts. “You really mean it.” 

“Of course I do.” Ryo almost snapped but he deflated instantly. “Sorry it took so long.” 

Tatsuya shook his head and pushed himself weakly up on his elbows. Ryo supported him until the vampire threw his arms around his neck and almost sobbed into his shoulder. He pulled back just enough to kiss Ryo.

“I love you too. For a while now actually.” Tatsuya chuckled. “You take so much time beating around your feelings.”

“At least I managed to figure them out.” Ryo pointed out. 

“Alright you two, enough with the lovey-dovey stuff okay.” Jin said, grumpily. 

“You’re just jealous.” Ryo playfully replied. 

“Of course I am. I won’t get to see my boyfriend for another two days. Jeez, so inconsiderate.” Jin murmured, rolling his eyes. Both Tatsuya and Ryo chuckled. Tatsuya fell back against the bed and smiled. 

“I think I need to sleep some more.” He said.

“Go ahead. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” Ryo replied, holding the vampire’s hand until he fell asleep. Jin curled his lip up and left the couple to their peace. Either Ryo’s weirdness recently was going to fade now or he was just going to get weirder. All well, he was Tatsuya’s problem now.

**Finished**

**Author's Note:**

> This was the original end notes on the original post:
> 
> _A few of you will probably point out that there should be more to this and I agree, there should be more…but I’m not writing it. In any case, just to clarify on some points that you probably don’t understand. Ryo is empathic, which is why he reacts so to Tatsuya whose more on the telepathic side. It’s why he felt so much even though it isn’t really him feeling it. Like when Tatsuya was captured and went missing, he felt it._
> 
> _But in any case, this story doesn’t really focus on the vampire aspect of it. It’s all ‘bout the romance, honey! So in case anyone wants to know, I’m not doing a sequel or writing anymore on it. However, if someone one else would like to write more on it, then by all means have fun! I just want a happy link so I can read, hm’kay?_
> 
> I do not know what I was thinking honestly when I posted that but *shrugs*. Remember this was over ten years ago and a lot of things (and myself have changed). I hope you'll enjoy this though in its original form.


End file.
